STANDARDNI JEZICI ŠTOKAVSKOG NARJEČJA
STANDARD LANGUAGES OF THE STOKAVIAN DIALECT

Summary/Abstract: In this paper the author disc us ses the stratification of the common standard language of the Serb s, Crm ts, Bosniaks and Montenegrins into separate standard languages with nation 1l labels in their names as a phenomenon that has raised numerous questions among the linguists, who are supposed to elaborate it on the theoretical level, as well as among the speakers, for whom it has narrow ed the communication space. The basic one among these questions is, without doubt, the question - a language or languages. In his approach to the subject, the author emphasizes the complexity of the issue resulting from the cor 1plexity of language as a phenomenon which has to be view ed from two aspects - language as the sum of organic idioms and standard language as the most prestigious idiom for communication in a community. The author finds the ea 1ses for the stratification of the standard Serbo-Croatian/ Croato-Serbian language in the social context, and the possibilities for it are also seen in the very nature of this language. The common Serbo-Croatian/Croato-Serbian language, despite its 150 years old tradition and about 70 years of functioning within a single country, has never reached the goal , iesired for a standard language - the unity of its physiognomy. On the surface it was distinguished by the replacement of the yat sound and by the alphabet, and on the underlying level, by two realizations, two distinct idioms. Although all this did not correspond a hundred percent to national values, it coincided with them to a great extent and originated from them. The creation of national states has opened the door wide to the introduction of national labels wherever it was possible. Language, as one of the basic characteristics of a nation, e mld not have remained outside that process. The four standard realiza· ions of the stoka vian dialect are not questionable and they have a perspective. The names are not questionable either, as long as they refer to them. They only become questionable when they are transferred to the language as an organic idiom.

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